Summary of Surface-Water-Quality
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Summary of Surface-Water-Quality Data Collected for the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins National Water- Quality Assessment Program in the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille and Spokane River Basins, Montana, Idaho, and Washington, Water Years 1999-2001 Open-File Report 02–472 National Water-Quality Assessment Program Summary of Surface-Water-Quality Data Collected for the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins National Water-Quality Assessment Program in the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille and Spokane River Basins, Montana, Idaho, and Washington, Water Years 1999–2001 By Michael A. Beckwith Open-File Report 02–472 Boise, Idaho 2003 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director The use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Government. Additional information can be obtained from: Copies of this report can be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Information Services 230 Collins Road Box 25286 Boise, ID 83702-4520 Federal Center http://idaho.usgs.gov Denver, CO 80225 e-mail: [email protected] Copies of this report also are available in PDF format, which can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader, at URL: http://idaho.usgs.gov/public/reports.html FOREWORD The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is committed to serve the Nation with accurate and timely scien tific information that helps enhance and protect the overall quality of life, and facilitates effective manage ment of water, biological, energy, and mineral resources. (http://www.usgs.gov/). Information on the quality of the Nation’s water resources is of critical interest to the USGS because it is so integrally linked to the long-term availability of water that is clean and safe for drinking and recreation and that is suitable for industry, irrigation, and habitat for fish and wildlife. Escalating population growth and increasing demands for the multiple water uses make water availability, now measured in terms of quantity and qual ity, even more critical to the long-term sustainability of our communities and ecosystems. The USGS implemented the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program to support national, regional, and local information needs and decisions related to water-quality management and pol- icy. (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/). Shaped by and coordinated with ongoing efforts of other Federal, State, and local agencies, the NAWQA Program is designed to answer: What is the condition of our Nation’s streams and ground water? How are the conditions changing over time? How do natural features and human activities affect the quality of streams and ground water, and where are those effects most pro nounced? By combining information on water chemistry, physical characteristics, stream habitat, and aquatic life, the NAWQA Program aims to provide science-based insights for current and emerging water issues and priorities. NAWQA results can contribute to informed decisions that result in practical and effective water-resource management and strategies that protect and restore water quality. Since 1991, the NAWQA Program has implemented interdisciplinary assessments in more than 50 of the Nation’s most important river basins and aquifers, referred to as Study Units. (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/nawqamap.html). Collectively, these Study Units account for more than 60 percent of the overall water use and population served by public water supply, and are representative of the Nation’s major hydrologic landscapes, priority ecological resources, and agricultural, urban, and natural sources of contamination. Each assessment is guided by a nationally consistent study design and methods of sampling and anal ysis. The assessments thereby build local knowledge about water-quality issues and trends in a particular stream or aquifer while providing an understanding of how and why water quality varies regionally and nationally. The consistent, multi-scale approach helps to determine if certain types of water-quality issues are isolated or pervasive, and allows direct comparisons of how human activities and natural processes affect water quality and ecological health in the Nation’s diverse geographic and environmental settings. Comprehensive assessments on pesticides, nutrients, volatile organic compounds, trace metals, and aquatic ecology are developed at the national scale through comparative analysis of the Study-Unit findings. (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/natsyn.html). The USGS places high value on the communication and dissemination of credible, timely, and rele vant science so that the most recent and available knowledge about water resources can be applied in man agement and policy decisions. We hope this NAWQA publication will provide you the needed insights and information to meet your needs, and thereby foster increased awareness and involvement in the protection and restoration of our Nation’s waters. The NAWQA Program recognizes that a national assessment by a single program cannot address all water-resource issues of interest. External coordination at all levels is critical for a fully integrated under- standing of watersheds and for cost-effective management, regulation, and conservation of our Nation’s water resources. The Program, therefore, depends extensively on the advice, cooperation, and information from other Federal, State, interstate, Tribal, and local agencies, non-government organizations, industry, academia, and other stakeholder groups. The assistance and suggestions of all are greatly appreciated. Robert M. Hirsch Associate Director for Water Foreword iii CONTENTS Foreword . iii Abstract . 1 Introduction . 2 Purpose and scope. 2 Description of study area . 2 Environmental history . 6 Water-quality sampling and analysis . 7 Streamflow and water-quality data . 8 Summaries and graphical displays of data . 8 Physical and chemical characteristics. 9 Streamflow . 9 Nutrients. 9 Organic carbon. 14 Trace elements . 14 Comparison with other National Water-Quality Assessment Program studies . 17 References cited . 17 FIGURES 1. Location of the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area and surface-water-quality sampling sites in Montana, Idaho, and Washington . 4 2–11. Graphs showing: 2. Selected streamflow statistics and water-quality sampling dates for the Clark Fork at Turah Bridge near Bonner, Montana (12334550) . 23 3. Selected streamflow statistics and water-quality sampling dates for the Bitterroot River near Missoula, Montana (12352500) . 24 4. Selected streamflow statistics and water-quality sampling dates for the Clark Fork at St. Regis, Montana (12354500) . 25 5. Selected streamflow statistics and water-quality sampling dates for the Flathead River at Perma, Montana (12388700) . 26 6. Daily streamflow and water-quality sampling dates for Lightning Creek at Clark Fork, Idaho (12392155) . 27 7. Daily streamflow and water-quality sampling dates for the St. Joe River at Red Ives Ranger Station, Idaho (12413875) . 28 8. Selected streamflow statistics and water-quality sampling dates for the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River at Enaville, Idaho (12413000) . 29 9. Selected streamflow statistics and water-quality sampling dates for the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River near Pinehurst, Idaho (12413470) . 30 10. Selected streamflow statistics and water-quality sampling dates for the Spokane River near Post Falls, Idaho (12419000) . 31 11. Daily streamflow and water-quality sampling dates for the Spokane River at Seven Mile Bridge near Spokane, Washington (12424500) . 32 12–40. Boxplots showing: 12. Distribution of streamflow values for samples collected at surface-water-quality sampling sites in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area, water years 1999–2001 . 33 Contents v 13. Distribution of specific conductance values for samples collected at surface-water-quality sampling sites in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area, water years 1999–2001 . 33 14. Distribution of onsite pH values for samples collected at surface-water-quality sampling sites in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area, water years 1999–2001 . 34 15. Distribution of water temperature values for samples collected at surface-water-quality sampling sites in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area, water years 1999–2001 . 34 16. Distribution of hardness values for samples collected at surface-water-quality sampling sites in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area, water years 1999–2001 . 35 17. Distribution of alkalinity values for samples collected at surface-water-quality sampling sites in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area, water years 1999–2001 . 35 18. Distribution of suspended sediment concentrations for samples collected at surface- water-quality sampling sites in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area, water years 1999–2001 . 36 19. Distribution of dissolved solids concentrations for samples collected at surface-water- quality sampling sites in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area, water years 1999–2001 . 36 20. Distribution of total nitrogen concentrations for samples collected at surface-water- quality sampling sites in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins study area, water years 1999–2001 . 37 21. Distribution of total phosphorus concentrations for samples collected at surface-water- quality sampling sites in the Northern Rockies Intermontane